Announcement of a call for research grant (1 vacancy) Reference: 2025_016_BI_BioeconomiaAzul

CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Center of Marine and Environmental Research - Uporto, Portugal

Updated: about 2 months ago

Job Type: FullTime

Deadline: 14 Mar 2025

3 Mar 2025
Job Information

Organisation/Company: CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Center of Marine and Environmental Research - Uporto
Department: N.A.
Research Field: Biological sciences
Researcher Profile: Other Profession
Positions: Master Positions
Country: Portugal
Application Deadline: 14 Mar 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)
Type of Contract: Not Applicable
Job Status: Full-time
Hours Per Week: 40
Offer Starting Date: 1 Apr 2025
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Other EU programme
Reference Number: 2025_016_BI_BioeconomiaAzul
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No

Offer Description

A competition is open for the attribution of one Research Grant for a BSc Holder within the scope of the Innovation Pact, Project No. C644915664-00000026, known as the “Blue Bioeconomy Pact”, resulting from the submission of the application to Notice No. 02/C05-i01/2022, within the scope of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), at the Research Unit - Interdisciplinary Research Center Marine and Environmental, for the exercise of activities in the WP5 ALGAE, according to the following conditions:

1. Scientific area: Biological Sciences.

2. General admission requirements: Any national, foreign and stateless candidate(s) who hold a Master's degree in Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences or related scientific areas; and a scientific and professional curriculum whose profile is suited for the activity to be performed focus on seaweed aquaculture. The candidate must be enrolled in a PhD program at the time of application, with the aim of consolidating his/her scientific training through the development of research work leading to the award of the respective PhD degree or in a non- degree course integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution, developed in association or cooperation with R&I unit. If the applicant is not yet enrolled, it must meet the requirements to register; enrolment will be mandatory and proof necessary only at the moment of scholarship contracting.

Note: In the case of enrolment in courses that do not confer academic degree, the research grant can only be awarded to those who do not exceed, with the signing of the research grant contract in question, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of two years in this type of grant, consecutive or interpolated.

Academic degrees awarded by a foreign higher education institution must comply with the provisions of Decree-Law no. 66/2018 of 16th August, which approves the legal regime of recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of Higher Education, attributed by foreign higher education institutions, being any formalities established therein fulfilled only by the date of the contracting act.

3. Specific admission requirements: The specific admission requirements for the competition are as described below. Candidates must have previous skills and experience in:

Propagation and cultivation of seaweeds;

Good Knowledge of statistics and data analysis;

Be fluent in Portuguese and English, both written and spoken.

Additionally, the following experiences will be valorised in the scientific curriculum:

Experience in knowledge transfer to the seaweed industry.

The jury reserves the right to close the application in case none of the candidates meets the desired profile.

4. Working plan: The selected candidate will work within the scope of the project, namely in the assessment and selection of candidate seaweed species to be produced in offshore aquaculture in Portugal, production of seedlings of selected species to be tested at the offshore aquaculture demo unit, and development and optimization of nursery protocols for the best performing species (highest commercial potential). An effective transfer of knowledge to the aquaculture sector is expected, contributing to the implementation of innovative solutions able to sustainably increase aquaculture diversification, productivity and competitiveness.

The candidate will mainly be involved in the following activities i) sampling of seaweed from natural populations; ii) development of sexual and vegetative propagation methods; iii) performing data analysis; (iv) support the preparation of project reports in collaboration with partners (v) participation in dissemination activities.

5. Legislation and official rules: Law nº. 40/2004, 18th August (Research Fellowship and Studentship Regulation) in its current version; Regulations for Studentships and Fellowships of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. and CIIMAR Grants Regulation approved by FCT.

6. Workplace: The work will be carried out in the research team Coastal Biodiversity located at CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Novo Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal, under the supervision of Principal Investigator, Professor Isabel Sousa Pinto.

7. Duration of the contract: Duration of 09 months, starting in April 2025, under the regime of exclusive dedication.

8. Monthly salary: The monthly maintenance allowance is 1309,64 €, according to https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tabela_valores_SMM_2025.pdf

9. Selection methods: The ranking of candidates will be performed by an initial evaluation of the scientific and curricular path (ESCP) considering the activities to be performed.

The evaluation of the ESCP will be performed according to the following criteria:

Experience in sampling and identification of seaweeds in the rocky intertidal (10%).

Experience in propagation of seaweeds, including the development of nursery protocols (25%).

Experience in seaweed cultivation at pilot scale (15%).

Experience in propagation of kelp species and Ulva sp. (15%).

Experience in collaboration and knowledge transfer to the seaweed industry (15%).

Experience in relevant data treatment and statistical analysis (5%).

Evaluation of the letter of motivation (15%).

The Evaluation of the ESCP will be performed according to the following criteria:

ESCP = 0.1*C1 + 0.25*C2 + 0.15*C3 + 0.15*C4 + 0.15*C5 + 0.05*C6 + 0.15*C7

According to all the criteria, only candidates with a minimum grade of 15 will be admitted.

The evaluation process may include an interview (INT), for the first 3 positions, with the only propose of clarifying aspects related to the research results, with a relative weight of 20% and the previous evaluation with a relative weight of 80%.

In the case of an interview, the formula for the final classification will be as follows:

CF= 80% ESCP + 20% INT

If the candidates do not show up in the interview they will be withdrawal from the application, being excluded from the competition.

The panel shall deliberate by means of roll-call vote justified under adopted and disclosed selection criteria, with no abstentions allowed.

Minutes of panel meetings shall be executed and shall include a summary of all occurrences of said meeting, as well as of all votes casted by the members and respective reasoning, and shall be provided to candidates whenever required.

After the application of the selection criteria, the panel shall prepare a sorted list of approved candidates and respective classification.

10. Composition of the jury selection:

President of the jury: Isabel Sousa Pinto, PhD

Vogal: Gonçalo S. Marinho, PhD

Vogal: Maria Isabel da Silva Costa, PhD

11. Deadline for application and presentation of applications: The application period starts 3/3/2025until 14/3/2025.

Applications cannot exceed 20 MB and must be formalised by e-mail to rh@ciimar.up.pt and explicitly state the announcement reference on the subject: “2025_016_BI_BioeconomiaAzul”.

Applications shall include the following documents:

Copy of the eligibility certificates;

Detailed Curriculum vitae;

Motivation letter (including the achievements relevant for the competition as indicated in the selection criteria);

Contact e-mail address and phone number;

The reference of this application (indicated in this announcement).

All candidates who formalise their applications in an improper way or fail to prove the requirements imposed by this tender are excluded from admission. In case of doubt, the panel is entitled to request any candidate to present further documentation supporting their statements.

False statements provided by the candidates shall be punished by law.

12. Form of advertising/notification of results: Both admitted and excluded candidate list and final classification list will be notified by e-mail and will be published in website of the institution www2.ciimar.up.pt.

Preliminary Hearing and Final Decision Deadline: Pursuant to article 121 of the Administrative Procedure Code, after publication, all candidates have 10 working days to respond. Panel’s final decisions are pronounced within a maximum period of 90 days, counting from deadline for submission of applications.

This competition is exclusively destined to fill this specify vacancy and can be terminated at any time until approval of final candidate list, expiring with the respective occupation of said vacancy.

13. Non-discrimination and equal access policy: CIIMAR actively promotes a non-discrimination and equal access policy, wherefore no candidate can be privileged, benefited, impaired or deprived of any rights whatsoever, or be exempt of any duties based on their ancestry, age, sex, sexual preference, marital status, family and economic conditions, instruction, origin or social conditions, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, origin territory, language, religion, political or ideological convictions and union membership.

Pursuant to Decree-Law no. 29/2001 of 3 February, disabled candidates shall be preferred in a situation of equal classification, and said preference supersedes any legal preferences. Candidates must declare, on their honour, their respective disability degree, type of disability and communication/expression means to be used during selection period on their application form, under the regulations above.

Where to apply

E-mail: rh@ciimar.up.pt

Requirements

Research Field: Biological sciences
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Any national, foreign and stateless candidate(s) who hold a Master's degree in Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences or related scientific areas; and a scientific and professional curriculum whose profile is suited for the activity to be performed focus on seaweed aquaculture. The candidate must be enrolled in a PhD program at the time of application, with the aim of consolidating his/her scientific training through the development of research work leading to the award of the respective PhD degree or in a non- degree course integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution, developed in association or cooperation with R&I unit. If the applicant is not yet enrolled, it must meet the requirements to register; enrolment will be mandatory and proof necessary only at the moment of scholarship contracting.

Specific Requirements

Specific admission requirements: The specific admission requirements for the competition are as described below. Candidates must have previous skills and experience in:

Propagation and cultivation of seaweeds;

Good Knowledge of statistics and data analysis;

Be fluent in Portuguese and English, both written and spoken.

Additionally, the following experiences will be valorised in the scientific curriculum:

Experience in knowledge transfer to the seaweed industry.

The jury reserves the right to close the application in case none of the candidates meets the desired profile.

Languages: ENGLISH
Level: Excellent

Research Field: Biological sciences
Years of Research Experience: 1 - 4

Additional Information
Benefits

Duration of the contract: Duration of 09 months, starting in April 2025, under the regime of exclusive dedication.

Monthly salary: The monthly maintenance allowance is 1309,64 €, according to https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tabela_valores_SMM_2025.pdf

Selection process

Selection methods: The ranking of candidates will be performed by an initial evaluation of the scientific and curricular path (ESCP) considering the activities to be performed.